Playing card container



1951 w. DUBlLlER PLAYING CARD CONTAINER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 12, 1947 IN VENTOR.

WILLIAM DUBILIER A TTQRN EYJ.

Dec. 4, 195] w DUBlLlER 2,577,007

7 PLAYING CARD CONTAINER 'Filed June 12, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

WILLIAM DUBIUER W WM A T TO/ZNEX Patented Dec. 4, 1 951 PLAYING CARD CONTAINER William Dubilier, New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1947, Serial No. 754,100

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to card containers and more particularly to a card container adapted to package playing cards and so arranged that a portion of the card container may be opened to present at least a portion of the deck of playing cards in such a position that cards may be successively withdrawn from the container.

My novel container is also specifically arranged to provide aholding means for one or more additional cards in a position spaced from the main body of the deck which is presented to view.

In many card games, after a predetermined number of cards are dealt out, the remaining cards must be left in a pile from which they are successively drawn. In addition, in some card games a key card must be placed aside, this card controlling either the scoring or rules of the game.

My invention contemplates a container which may be used to package the entire deck of playing cards when it is sold, the said container being so arranged however that it may readily be placed in a condition to hold the stack of cards from which successive cards are to be drawn and to hold the key or score controlling card or cards.

Thus, for instance, in the game known as Gin Rummy particularly the Oklahoma variety of the game, after ten cards are dealt to each of the two participants, an eleventh card is placed face up to determine the maximum knocking point and also in some cases to determine a method of scoring. The remainder of the deck is placed .face down and cards are successively drawn from the top of the stack, cards being discarded by the players who retain any of the drawn cards. This continues until a player reaches a sufiiciently low score to knock or until one of the players completes a Tummy hand.

The principal dimculty which arises when a game of this type is played outdoors is that the wind blows the cards from the stack and blows the key or scoring card away.

My novel device is designed to obviate this dimculty by preventing disarrangement of the stack of cards and by providing a definite repository for the key or scoring card during the playing of the game so that accidental disarrangement of the cards whether indoors or outdoors can not occur.

While my novel container is peculiarly adaptable for use as the original package of the cards, it may readily be made and sold as a separate container and it may thus be made of any suitable material for this purpose.

The primary object of my invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel container for playing cards wherein at least a portion of the deck is presented to view when parts of the container are appropriately arranged.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel card container where in addition to presenting a portion of the deck for ready accessibility, means is provided for retaining in a clearly visible but secure position a key card or scoring card.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel playing card container which may be sold as the original package for the playing cards, the said container comprising means facilitating th arrangement thereof into a card holder for the stack of cards which is not immediatel held in any hand during playing, as well as for any additional key card or scoring card which must be kept separated from the stack.

The foregoing and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the developed blank for my novel container.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of my novel container partially opened preparatory to placing the same in condition for the playing of a game.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from line 3--3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing my novel container completely arranged for the playing of a card game showing the stack of cards held in the container; the cards are here shown face up for convenience in illustrating the invention. In the usual game, the cards will be placed face down; except that the key card or scoring card l3 will usually be face up.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the figures, my novel container ll comprises a top wall consisting of sections 21 and 25, a bottom wall section 36, a closed end wall section 32 separated from wall sections 36 and 21 by fold lines 35 and 3|. A lid panel 22 is connected to wall section 25 by fold line 23 and is also connected to the closing tab 20 by fold line 2 I. A thumb hole 4| is provided at the open end of wall section 36 to provide access to the closing panel 20 of the lid panel 22 to facilitate opening of the package.

Wall sections 2'l25 have side panels l4, [4 connected thereto by score lines 30, 30 and tear lines 24, 24 which latter may consist of a series of perforations or incisions to facilitate the tearing up of wall panel 25 from co-planar relationship with wall panel 21 to the positions of Figures 2 and 4. Fold line 26 between panels 21 and 25 provides a definite hinge around which the panel 25 may be bent as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

Wall panel 36 has lateral extensions l1, l1 separated therefrom by fold lines 40, 40. End panel 32 has lateral extensions 34 therefrom connected thereto by fold lines 33.

When the blank is folded up to finished container position, panel 32 is folded to a position at right angles to panel 27, panel 36 is folded to a position at right angles to panel 32 and parallel to panels 2'|25. Extensions 34 are folded inwardly at right angles to panel 32. Extensions I! are folded up at right angles to panel 36. Adhesive is applied thereto and ex-. tensions M are folded down at right angles to panels 27-25 and are adhesively secured to panels ll. The container is thus formed.

A deck of cards is placed in the container. Extensions I of the side walls l4 are folded in on fold lines l5 and the lid is closed.

When the container is opened for use, the cards packaged therein are withdrawn therefrom. Panel 25 is torn up along the tear lines 24 and folded back to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 Where panel 25 extends in surface to surface arrangement with panel 21. Lid panel 22 is folded over the end panel 32 and the closing tab 20 is folded over the fold line 35 and the end of, the tabv 2.0 is entered into slot 37.

The. container isv thus held in the position of Figures 4 and 5. The cards are dealt out and the. stack of cards, I2 is replaced within the container. Extensions I'fi which are resilient around the fold lines retain the cards in posi tion while permitting one card at a time to be Withdrawn from the stack. The key card or scoring card 13 is slipped face up into the slot 37 where it is. always visible.

When the game is completed, all of the cards may be replaced in the container and wall panel 25' may be unfolded from the position of Figures 4' and 5 through the positions of Figures 2 and 3 back to the closed position.

By this means a simplified container is formed which may be used as a package for the deck of cards and which may readily be turned into a container which facilitates the playing of a game by retaining certain portions of the deck in appropriate position.

While I prefer that the container be made of paper, laminated paper or plasticized or glazed paper, all of which may be readily scored and folded, my container may with obvious modification also be made of suitable plastics, metal, or Wood, or other stifi material.

In such cases, it will be necessary to substitute appropriate hinge structure for the fold lines shown in the drawings.

By this means, therefore, a simplified structure is provided which will hold the cards in position while the game is being played outdoors and will prevent accidental disarrangement of the cards at any time during the progress of the game. The discarded cards which are no longer in play may be prevented from being blown about by placing them under the container as they are discarded.

In the foregoing, I have described my invention solely in connection with specific illustrative embodiments thereof. Since many modifications and variations of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures herein contained but only by the appended claim.

I. claim:

A container comprising top and bottom Walls, side walls, an end wall and an open end; a closure hingedly connected to the top wall for closing the open end; a slot in the bottom wall adjacent the end wall; one half of the top Wall carrying the closure being foldable with respect to the remainder of the top wall into surface to surface relation with the top Wall; the closure member being foldable about the end wall into surface to surface relation with said end and bottom walls and into engagement with said slot in said bottom wall.

WILLIAM DUBIL-IER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7,295 Osbourne Sept. 5, 1876 329,134 Brotz Oct. 27, 1885 945,868 Sanguinette Jan. 11, 1910 1,621,451 Beach Mar. 15, 1927 1,910,094 Crane et al May 23, 1933 1,987,778 Keene Jan. 15, 1935 2,011,410 Jones Aug. 13, 1935 V FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,212 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1890 465,828 Great Britain May 18, 1937 

